Unlike other digital signage packages with which you need to purchase separate licences to design, schedule and play presentations, Repeat Signage does this in one package. The designing and scheduling of presentations is effectively free-of-charge as you can use the evaluation version of Repeat Signage to do this. You only need licences for computers playing your presentations.

You will need one licence for every computer that is playing Repeat Signage presentations. For example, you have a computer in your reception area attached to a plasma screen and this is playing a Repeat Signage presentation welcoming visitors. You will need one Repeat Signage licence. You may be designing and updating the reception presentation from another office computer via your network but you do NOT need a licence to do this. On the updating computer, simply download the Repeat Signage evaluation version and use that instead. The only difference between the evaluation and a licenced version is that you don't see a ghosted evaluation image over your presentation after playing it for 10 minutes.

Saving money on licensing and computers

In a hotel, for example, you may want to display the same presentation is multiple locations, such as a bar, reception and function room. The point here is the SAME presentation. Instead of having:

1 x Repeat Signage licence1 x Windows computer for playing Repeat Signage on (you will need need a monitor attached so you can see what is happening)3 x Plasma screens or large LCD monitors1 x 4 port video splitter4 x cabling from computer to screens (10m limit for VGA cables or you can use video signal extenders)

On a desktop computer, you connect the computer's monitor (or plasma screen or LCD monitor) through the monitor port on the back on the system. You can purchase video splitters that connect to your computer's monitor port and then split the signal so that multiple screens can be connected to the video splitter so that the computer's image is displayed on multiple screens. Dual splitters are available for as little as £25 plus VAT and 4 port splitters from £35 (UK) plus VAT. Monitor cables have around a 10m limit, so you could connect a 10m monitor cable from the computer to the splitter and then use 10m cables to place the screens in different areas. Using video signal extenders, such as ones that use Cat5 cabling, can be used so that the screens can be placed at much larger distances from the computer.

So back to our hotel example, it is possible to display the same presentation, without spending a lot of money on computers and licences, in multiple rooms. In other organisations, playing the same presentation in different places would not be appropriate in which case you will need a computer, Repeat Signage licence and display screen in each place. However, you can still consider using splitters in some areas. For example, in a bar, you could have several screens around the bar area and it may well be appropriate to have the same content on each, so you could use a video splitter in just that location to save money. In bars, screens are often used to display menu information and details of upcoming events.

Note - Most local electricians are fully trained in computer network cable installation, or laying video cables, which is no more complicated that dealing with electrical wires. Electricians will also install brackets for plasma screens, projectors and LCD monitors, etc.